The platform beneath their feet was no longer stable ground but a trembling slab of steel and bone, groaning as though it carried the weight of an entire collapsing world. Crimson light pulsed from cracks in the walls, like veins running through diseased flesh. What had been an underground chamber moments ago was now unrecognizable—an expanding void, endless and hungry.
The abyss had woken fully.
From the rift at its heart, something massive began to rise. First came a hand—or what resembled one—five jagged appendages stitched together from broken machinery and sinew. It slammed against the platform, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked Min-joon off the edge. Keller caught him by the collar, dragging him back with a grunt.
"Stay sharp!" Keller barked, but his voice betrayed strain. His eyes fixed on the monstrosity clawing its way free.
